In 1978 Edward Said’s Orientalism was published; he defined Orientalism through an examination of Western scholarship on the “Orient”, which traditionally projected a false and stereotyped vision of “otherness” onto the global East- affirmed by Western Colonial Policy.
One widely recognized example of Orientalism that Said gives is Flaubert’s, a French writer, depiction of Kuchuk Hanem, an Egyptian dancer and courtesan. Upon Flaubert’s encounter, his writing shifts from drawing on his individual experience with Hanem to instead attempting to represent the entire Orient, creating a universal expectation for all Eastern women. This feeds into a narrative that portrays them as exotic, sensual and mysterious, rather than as real people with important lived experiences.
From Thailand’s rise as a global tourism hotspot to Southeast Asia’s spirituality surge, Orientalism has continued to evolve- leaving open the question of whether it will reach a peak, stagnate or adapt to new global contexts?
Following 2003, Obama decided to ‘pivot to Asia’ indicating that America intends to preserve its global dominance, despite disasters in Iraq. While framed primarily to counter China, the strategy also proved beneficial by allowing America to form new strategic alliances and support economic growth. As a result, what does this shift mean for Europe, once America’s most valued ally, as the continent’s global gravity becomes less prominent in politics, economics and technology?
America’s engagement with Taiwan is evident in their increasingly close collaboration on advanced technologies, including semiconductors, AI, quantum technologies and green energy. This has contributed to the US retaining its global leadership in research and development (R&D). initiatives such as the US-Taiwan Science & Technology Cooperation Dialogue (STC-D) and bilateral efforts in semiconductor supply-chain partnerships emphasize this deepening collaboration. Separately, Taiwan is also aggressively expanding its R&D in quantum technology, hydrogen energy sector and nuclear energy research in order to compete with China’s competing R&D.
Although the US is prioritizing relationships with the East more, this doesn’t automatically mean that ideas of Orientalism are breaking down as a domino effect, but rather that America seeks closer ties to secure supply chains and restore domestic production capacity. For instance, Trump securing a $200 billion investment from Micron to onshore semiconductor production is eroding Taiwan as their monopoly is being shifted.
Comparatively, Europe’s and the US relationship has been more neutral as it never has these stereotypes of the equivalent of the Orient. However, in response the EU rolls our $1.1 billion plan to ramp
Historically, Europe’s and the US’s relationship has been more neutral, as it never carried the same stereotypes associated with the “Orient”. However, in response to the growing technological competition with the newly banded US and Asia, the European Commission recently announced a $1.1 billion “Apply AI” strategy aimed at ramping up artificial intelligence adoption across key industries. This initiative reflects Europe’s desire to reduce dependence on both US and Chinese technologies while achieving greater strategic autonomy. As Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared, she wants “the future of AI to be made in Europe”. By directing programs such as Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe Programme, the EU seeks not only to accelerate technological innovation across sectors like healthcare, energy and manufacturing, but also to assert its own digital sovereignty in a global landscape increasingly defined by US and Asian dominance.
With that said, ideas of Orientalism are unlikely to fade, as Washington’s drive to preserve global dominance still leans on long-entrenched perceptions of the “Orient”. Yet Europe’s response tells a different story- one of gradual genuine adaptation, as Brussels retools its strategy to remain competitive in shifting technological order.
Written by Billy Walker
